<p>Just read this article on performance anxiety and thought I'd pass it along:</p>
<p>Just linking other related threads. Don’t mind me.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/542644-performance-anxiety-how-deal.html?highlight=anxiety[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/542644-performance-anxiety-how-deal.html?highlight=anxiety</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/368525-audition-anxiety-tuba-player.html?highlight=anxiety[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/368525-audition-anxiety-tuba-player.html?highlight=anxiety</a></p>
<p>From the Minnesota Daily article linked above: “Sally O’Reilly, one of the University’s most prominent violin instructors, said heavily edited CDs and the knowledge that others are using beta blockers can put extra pressure on performers to deliver a flawless performance, especially in auditions.”</p>
<p>What did she mean by “heavily edited CDs”, does that refer to CDs made for screenings/auditions or recordings by professional musicians for sale on CDs or downloads being overly edited? </p>
<p>I often listen to great performances by classical pianists and other famous musicians from early to mid 20th century (available on youtube, CDs, digital download from iTunes, etc). and I have noticed that some of the greatest performers of that period seemed to make more “mistakes” than I hear on the most recent recordings by the top performers of today. Not sure if that was because more editing is done on modern recordings.</p>
<p>there is so much editing done on many CD’s - including by famous performers - that it is nothing like the recordings of the past where a mistake stayed a mistake! that does put pressure on performers to be perfect - as does the standard in Asia, where they train for technical precision.
Taking drugs without a prescription, drugs that slow the heart and lower blood pressure, is not a wise idea.<br>
There is a trend now of drug taking for “focus” too - ADD type drugs for “normal” students, so they can study “more effectively” - there was an article in the New Yorker about it - another bad idea, in my book.</p>
<p>Most CDs are heavily edited. In addition, groups are not even recorded together but each individual is recorded seperately and the different tracks are mixed by the engineers. This probably isn’t the case for chamber music, but my guess is that the soloists record their piece seperately from the orchestra. If there are wrong notes, they can be electronically corrected on the track. My son has been doing some professional recording. He got a gig from a band in Holland. They emailed him the music, he went into the studio, played his tracks and left. He never met the band, never rehearsed with them. The tracks were sent back to Holland where they were mixed in with stuff that was recorded there. </p>
<p>As far as beta blockers go, there are people who swear by them and others who won’t touch them. From what I can tell, it won’t hurt you physically to take them just before a performance.</p>
<p>You can be certain that more editing is done on modern recordings than on early- to mid-20th century recordings. On really old recordings, editing of takes cut directly to metal foil or wax was virtually impossible. You recorded a few takes of the whole piece or at least a whole movement and took the best of the ones you got. Later, when motion picture film and magnetic tape came into use, editing involved cutting the originals into pieces with a razor blade and then using splicing tape to put them back together. You had one shot with the blade to get it right. While possible, editing was still quite difficult, hence used only when really needed.</p>
<p>Once digital recording became the norm, you could make an endless number of copies with negligible loss in quality from one generation to the next. You could then make as many edits as you liked and practice doing it over and over until it was just right. I have seen classical music projects of album length that AVERAGE more than an edit per every two seconds of finished product, not so much because the individual takes were bad as much as that it was possible to attain near technical perfection by making that many edits.</p>
<p>I think people are talking about taking a beta blocker prior to performance only and not on a regular basis but, in the event that someone might have a solid week or more of performances, it should be noted that there can be a pretty serious rebound effect if they are abruptly discontinued, particularly if taking a high dose. Withdrawal will cause exactly the opposite effects from what a performer would take the drug for: high heart rate, sweaty palms, anxiety, high blood pressure, sleeplessness. If the heart rate goes high enough it can lead to clotting problems and stroke or heart attack. I don’t think occasional use carries these risks, but I think I’d find a sympathetic doctor to prescribe them and use them as directed.</p>
<p>some beta blockers are contraindicated for asthma - that’s one example of a reason to talk to a MD and get a prescription. Another is that it is a federal violation to provide someone with a prescription drug that was not prescribed for that person.</p>
<p>They are bad for diabetes and hypoglycemia, because you can’t feel the lows.</p>
<p>I took beta blockers once for heart palpitations, and could not feel my hands. I guess that that would not be helpful if I were auditioning!</p>